High-intensity training is a bear of a workout

Collapsed on the mat, sweating heavily, I eased my feeling of failure with the thought that hundreds of wrestlers submitted to the “Russian Bear,” during Alexander Karelin’s eight-year Olympic reign.

Sure, I had succumbed only to the “Russian Twist,” but my exhausted abdominal muscles made a case that the Bear and the Twist were equally formidable foes.

I was supposed to do 40 of the twisting exercises — per the direction of Joseph Hoff, a trainer at the Froedtert & Medical College Sports Medicine Center — reaching from side-to-side with a medicine ball while sitting; my legs and back raised and supported by my core muscles.

(An example of the "Russian Twist." Photo by Angela Peterson)

On the second of three sets, I quit after 20.

The surrender drove home the fact that the work on my oblique muscles and various plyometric strength exercises were the toughest parts of the high-intensity training regimen I started last week, under Hoff’s guidance in the sports center’s performance enhancement program.

What struck me as an adult version of hop-scotch kicked my butt, and hamstrings, and quads.

I started the performance program on April 6, with a test to determine my aerobic capacity and a leap into a more scientific approach to training.

From that, I expected high-speed intervals on a treadmill would make up the bulk of the work designed to make me a more efficient and faster runner.

Hoff seems equally intent on making me a stronger one.

During the first two sessions, he coached me through a series of jumps — front-to-back then side-to-side.

Next came lunges, turning with a medicine ball with each stride. Then jumps up to a box, and a sequence: a jump from the box followed by a quick leap up or a long-jump.

I spent 20 to 30 seconds on each exercise; three sets, separated by a one-minute break.

Hoff prodded me: “light feet, light feet, quick feet, quick feet.”

He explained that the plyometric exercises would train my muscles to contract more quickly and forcefully.

In more technical terms: “As for all of the ‘hop-scotch,’ this is a proven method that helps to activate your muscles’ stretching (and) shortening cycle, and thus resulting in your being able to run faster.

“The stretch-shortening cycle is best explained as the muscle’s ability to contract eccentrically (lengthen) followed by a concentric contraction (shortening of the muscle). To better explain: think of the thigh muscles. By going down into a squat position, the thigh musculature is lengthening (eccentric contraction). Then, jump up as high and as quickly as you can from the squat position. This is when the thigh muscle shortens (concentric contraction).”

My interpretation: I’ll be stronger when I load the muscle on the landing of each stride (concentric contraction) and more explosive when I push off (eccentric).

Strengthening core muscles, through the Russian Twist and similar exercises, Hoff said, will relieve the strain on my leg muscles while running, making me more efficient.

As for the running, which preceded the plyometrics and abdominal work, Hoff had me run three-minute intervals at a pace he calculated to be 85% of my maximum on day one and 90% on day two. The pace varied, from roughly a 7-minute mile to 6:30 per mile, depending on the incline.

I rested for one minute in between each of the five intervals, and found my heart rate spiked to 160 to 170 beats per minute. The earlier test had recorded my maximum heart rate at 181 and the anaerobic threshold at 146.

That interval work is intended to build my ability to run faster while staying below the anaerobic threshold. That’s the point where my oxygen supply is no longer adequate to prevent lactic acid from building in my bloodstream.

“The longer you are able to run under your anaerobic threshold, thus delaying the build-up of lactic acid, the longer you will be able to run before fatigue sets in,” Hoff explained.

Or, in the folksier, non-scientific language, I will go harder and longer, before the bear jumps on my back.

madrnr - "I'd rather just run 20 miles" has been my attitude toward training the last few years. That and, "When it hurts, slow down." The intensity has been a shock to my system, and probably one that I needed.

Regarding your Russian twist.I'm a little confused because you said you quit after 20 in the second set.Are you doing 3 sets of 40 each (whew) or 3 sets for a total of 40? Looks like a great exercise.Abs are pretty easy to train,but obliques are more of a challenge.

Seriously, it all leaves me breathless. I hope you get paid to do this Tom! I would have to make it my job to find enough motivation to get it done. I appreciate that you show photos of you in action. Fun, and, well nice. Makes the story and your experience come alive. Thanks, it is motivating and interesting.

Good Lord, and I thought Wii Active Sport was bad (and I'm still waiting to see results after 4 months!! No, I'm not eating too much!!!)!! I really hate to exercise, but I'm going to keep ONE resolution, by the gods!!!